Weapons seem to hold a special place in fantasy stories. I mentioned this in my previous Equipment post, but I think it’s worth repeating. It probably has something to do with the famous arms born by the heroes of myth and legend.
Ned Stark in “Song of Ice and Fire” bears the family greatsword Ice much like King Arthur carried Excalibur. Thor had Mjölnir, Cú Chulainn used the dreaded Gáe Bulg, and Bilbo and Frodo both wielded Sting. There’s a whole page of weapons named in “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” alone.
The point is that heroes took their armaments seriously. Some of them had powerful abilities, but certainly not all. As many a Star Trek red-shirt learned, though, a name can make all the difference. Even if you just use the mundane Quality rules we suggested, give your heroes a weapon worthy of handing down to their descendants.
Mundane Weaponry
My previous post summarized the weapons into three broad groups by Weapon Rating. Today, I’m going to expand on that listing. I’m focusing on western European arms for the most part, though the list covers a broad swath of history.
The Qualities listed are only suggestions. Feel free to customize your own items. I’m also including a Resources rating for the various weapons. There’s a reason, after all, that Little John used a quarterstaff instead of a sword.
Melee Weapons
| Name | WR | Resources | Qualities (Suggested) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axe, throwing | 1 | 1 | |
| Dagger/Knife | 1 | 1 | Fast, Quick Draw, Subtle |
| Hammer, light | 1 | 1 | |
| Sap | 1 | 1 | |
| Whip | 1 | 1 | Tripping |
| Battleaxe | 2 | 2 | |
| Club | 2 | 0 | |
| Flail | 2 | 1 | Disarming, Tripping |
| Lance | 2 | 2 | Mounted |
| Mace | 2 | 2 | |
| Morningstar | 2 | 1 | Armor Piercing |
| Pick, heavy | 2 | 1 | Armor Piercing, Heavy |
| Pick, light | 2 | 1 | Armor Piercing |
| Quarterstaff | 2 | 0 | |
| Rapier | 2 | 2 | Fast |
| Scimitar | 2 | 2 | |
| Spear, long | 2 | 1 | Reach |
| Spear, short | 2 | 1 | |
| Sword, broad | 2 | 2 | Heavy |
| Sword, saber | 2 | 2 | Mounted |
| Sword, short | 2 | 2 | |
| Trident | 2 | 2 | Disarming |
| Warhammer | 2 | 2 | |
| Falchion | 3 | 3 | |
| Flail, heavy | 3 | 2 | Tripping |
| Greataxe | 3 | 2 | Heavy |
| Greatclub | 3 | 1 | Heavy |
| Greatsword | 3 | 3 | Heavy |
| Polearm | 3 | 2 | Reach |
| Scythe | 3 | 2 | |
| Sword, bastard | 3 | 2 |
Ranged Weapons
| Name | WR | Resources | Range (Zones) | Qualities (Suggested) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolas | 1 | 1 | 2 | Tripping |
| Crossbow, hand | 1 | 3 | 3 | Subtle |
| Dart | 1 | 0 | 2 | Fast, Quick Draw, Subtle |
| Sling | 1 | 0 | 3 | Subtle |
| Crossbow, light | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| Javelin | 2 | 1 | 2 | |
| Shortbow | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| Crossbow, heavy | 3 | 3 | 5 | |
| Longbow | 3 | 3 | 5 |
Weapon Qualities
Most of these are a recap from my previous post, given here for convenience. However, I have added a couple more to suit some of the weapons listed above.
| Quality | Effect | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Armor Piercing | Ignores up to 2 points of armor (to a minimum of 0), but suffers -1 to Weapon Rating | The weapon concentrates its force into a point to better punch through armor (picks, bodkin points, etc) |
| Disarming | The weapon offers a +1 to maneuver rolls to disarm an opponent | The weapon includes tines or other features with which you can catch another weapon |
| Fast | Provides a +2 bonus to Alertness for initiative purposes (if applied to ammunition, player must specify at the beginning of the round) | The weapon is designed to be quick and agile |
| Heavy | +1 to Weapon Rating. Weapons receive a -1 penalty to Alertness for initiative purposes, but ammunition reaches one zone shorter | A Heavy weapon puts more weight behind your blows, but is slower |
| Mounted | The weapon acts at +1 Weapon Rating when used from a mounted position, otherwise -1 | The weapon is designed to be used from a horse, camel, etc |
| Quick Draw | May be drawn without the usual -1 penalty for a supplemental action | These weapons are designed to be easily accessible |
| Reach | Reaches one zone farther, but acts at -1 Weapon Rating in the same zone as the attacker | This weapon is longer, but unwieldy at close range |
| Subtle | +2 to Deceit to hide the weapon | Subtle weapons are easily concealed |
| Tripping | Use Weapons to perform a Trip maneuver at +1 | These weapons may be used to catch at an opponent’s legs |
Weapons of Power (to be continued…)
I had intended to include some Items of Power, but that would have made for a monster post. For more mystically potent weaponry, tune in next time!
Related Links
Print 
PDF
[...] Fantasy Fate: Expanded Armory Part 1 [...]